A Daughter’s Pictures

A Daughter’s Pictures

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

The dad of a young teenager from our church died unexpectedly. He was in his thirties, close to my husband’s age. As a family, we reached out to offer the girl and her grandparents our condolences.

One day, while visiting their home, Tim noticed that the daughter had tacked up pictures of her dad on the wall. A picture of the two of them on a swing together when she was a little girl, her face filled with joy. One of her as an older child, reaching over to give him a giant kiss on the cheek while he hugged her. A more recent one of the two of them, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, smiling faces pointed toward the camera. Tim asked if he could borrow the pictures, and she agreed.

A few months later, he returned them to her for her birthday, with a few important changes: he’d had the photographs professionally matted and framed at a local store, with a plaque underneath the photos engraved with her father’s name, date of birth, and date of death. Surprised and pleased, she posed for a picture of herself holding the frame and posted it on social media, thanking Tim for the thoughtful birthday gift.

When someone has experienced loss, it can be hard to know what will comfort them in their grief. It’s easy to feel helpless or unequipped to say anything that would be truly meaningful to the person who is mourning. Thankfully, we know that God blesses those who mourn, because he comforts them. It’s okay if we don’t know exactly what to say, but it can be easy to find things to do simply by looking for opportunities. What mattered most to the person who is gone? What matters most to the person who is mourning? Taking the time to extend kindness by doing something that commemorates the grieving person’s loved one in a tangible way can offer comfort that lasts long after the action itself has been done. It’s a beautiful example of the everlasting comfort God provides for those who mourn.

—Kristin

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Commemorate someone’s loss in a tangible way.